Father's Day Isn't Supposed to Hurt
by rachgreengeller
Summary: It's the first Father's Day since James Novak's death and Cyrus is sad. He spends a delightful day drinking wine and talking about life and love with an old friend.


Happy Father's Day Gladiators! This is my surprise. I decided to write a stand alone about Cyrus celebrating his first Father'a Day without James. Other than OLitz, they are my favorite couple on the show. I dedicate it to my father and the men who I know are real life fathers on the show we love. Tony, Jeff, Dan, Scott, Joe, Jon, Josh, Paul, Columbus

Cyrus sat on the sofa watching Ella. She was just his life now. One of the last things that he and James did before he was killed was take her to see the movie "Frozen." She couldn't have gotten enough of the lovable snowman "Olaf" , so James ran right out and bought her a stuffed doll. When he died, she clung to the snowman for dear life. Since that dark day, Cyrus had been missing him so much. He blamed himself everyday for his death and sentenced himself to a life of loneliness as a result. Today was Father's Day and somehow the pain was even worse.

Reading the Washington Post and sipping his coffee, he did enjoy the day off. Life had been chaotic to say the least. He wasn't just the President's Chief of Staff, he had many titles, babysitter to Fitz and his moods, referee between him and Andrew, and keeping the press at bay to it all. Sometimes it seemed that 1600 Penn was no more than a fraternity house and he was the housemother, what with the VP and the First Lady making out in one room and the President and the Campaign Manager making out in the Oval. Olivia had returned months ago and when she did , he knew that her and Fitz would find a way to make it work. Needless to say, it provided for him a whole new source of stress.

He didn't picture it this way. He pictured Ella growing and making a mess in the kitchen that James would have to yell at her for. He pictured her making them both clay ashtrays for their offices in school. He pictured her standing up at Harvard with her fathers as she got her law degree. He pictured her one day writing the memoirs of her famous godfather or the story of his and her godmother's romance. James would have be bursting with pride when it was published. No this wasn't the picture he could have imagined.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. His detail jumped to attention. He was alarmed until he heard the female voice, "It's okay boys, just me." He pulled his robe around him and jumped up from the sofa.

"Libby!" this is a surprise." Cyrus gave her a big bear hug. "I thought you'd be spending the day with…."

She stopped him before he could finish. "It's all about family today . He needs to be with them." Olivia was definitely in a casual mode today. She was wearing a white tank top and white capris. Her hair was tied back with a white ribbon. "So since it is Father'a Day and we all know how I feel about my winner of a father, I decided to come spend it with you and Ella." She opened the picnic basket and there were sandwiches from the deli, pb and j for ella and three bottles of Merlot. "I missed my favorite drinking buddy." She smiled.

Cyrus leaped from the couch and went to the cupboard to take out two wine glasses. It would be like the good old days. Olivia was his favorite student and he loved to dish the Washington scene with her. Things just got a little complicated when she started the whole thing with Fitz and he was trying to keep the peace. He and Olivia had the same passion other than politics, fine wine.

The red liquid poured into the tall glasses and Olivia managed to find a juice box for Ella. When Cyrus came back and handed her a glass. She lifted it in a toast, "Happy Father's Day James." Cyrus began to shed a tear. Olivia put down her glass and held him.

"You know something, you have always been more of a father to me than my dad was. You listened to me , you allowed me to think for myself. And you encouraged me to be the best at what I do. If that isn't a father, I don't know what it." Olivia was serious .

"I saw potential. I saw greatness, if Sally Langston hadn't already beat you to it, you would have made a great first woman President. " Cyrus said.

"Wouldn't our President love to hear that?" Olivia laughed with the glass to her mouth.

"He said it so himself. He knows talent and that is why he always asked for your opinion." Cyrus hated to admit this to Olivia. "He has thanked me numerous times for bringing you on board." 

"I bet." Olivia scoffed. "I can guess why."

Cyrus knew he had to make a valid point "No, besides that. He knows that you are one smart lady. One lady that you need on your team. He also knows that you would have hated being First Lady. You my dear, are not the garden club/DAR type. You can think and you don't need a man to do it. That's what he likes most about you."

Olivia figured she should play too. She can remember having little chats with James. "Well, James said that he was worried about you sometimes. He was worried that the job would swallow your soul."

"The man could read me like a book." Cyrus admitted. "I will always regret how much I had hurt him. I would lie to him, plot against him, oh he would get me so mad! But then I would lay next to him and hear him and all would be forgiven. I would give anything to hear that little pipsqueaks voice again. "

Olivia was being very sincere, "James loved you very much." She said sweetly. "I wish I could find a love like that ."

Cyrus put down his glass and took her hand "You have." Olivia took a big swig of her wine and then went to open another bottle. Cyrus gave her his glass for a refill.

"Ah my turn , to Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the third, the Master we both serve." Cyrus lifted his glass .

Olivia took a healthy swallow to that . "I 'll drink to that. Lord knows I have in the past."

With hardly any food in their stomachs, the conversations turned to reminiscing about that first election and things that had happened on the trail. Laughter and memories just spilled out .

"I don't think I will ever forget the look on your face when you walked into the Oval and saw us kissing before the first State dinner. You were mortified. You really had no idea?" Olivia was curious.

He was feeling no pain, "None."

Olivia knew that Cyrus was beginning to get a little tipsy. She knew that Ella would be getting hungry. "And how is my goddaughter today? Are you getting hungry?" the little girl nodded and Olivia gave her the sandwich she brought for her. Cyrus could see that Olivia had the motherly instinct.

"Thanks Libby, I probably should slow down." Cyrus said as he got up and then fell back down. The two of them continued to laugh. It was great to feel happy again and look back on the long journey they had taken together.

Olivia had wishes too. She had hoped that this father's day would be different for her too. She could picture herself with a baby and Fitz. Spending time with his kids on this day as they celebrated dear old POTUS dad. If it wasn't for her own stubbornness, that could have happened. Once again she had to fix things and she did , but good.

"Liv, there''s something I have always wanted to ask you. But I didn't know if I should." Cyrus was hinting at something and from the way he was asking, she knew what it was.

"If you think that I am going to lower myself to answer that, Cyrus Rutherford Beane," she teasingly threatened him.

"Olivia Pope, it's just between us girls, come on spill, what is he like in bed?" Cyrus edged her on.

Olivia's face turned beet red. She couldn't stop giggling. "You are terrible and I am not talking."

She gave him a look and then she sighed, "Okay I will give you this. You remember that Janine girl who took the fall the first time I was fingered as his mistress. When she said that he was a baguette. She wasn't kidding." Cyrus looked over at her started to cackle loudly. "I knew it!"

The three of them sat down and watched movies together. Ella wanted to see "Frozen" again , so they drank their wine and nibbled as Ella clapped with joy at the movie. Hours had passed and Olivia had forgotten the time.

It all came to a screeching halt, when Olivia's special phone went off, "Hi, happy Father's Day. " she said with a smile. Cyrus knew immediately who it was. "She left a while ago with Andrew. Okay, I will be there In a little while." Hanging up the phone , she felt bad that she was leaving her friend.

"It's okay. Go grab whatever happiness you can." Cyrus smiled. She gave him the biggest smile and hugged the man. "I love you , Cy." She said, "Happy Father's Day." Heading out the door, he stood and watched her walk away. Ella jumped into his big bear arms and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Daddy Cy." 


End file.
